Best Electronic Songs of 2012

*Listen to all of these songs in full with this handy playlist I put together for you*

Clicking on each song below will take you to a website where they can be purchased or downloaded for free from the artist. (websites used are Beatport, Bandcamp, iTunes, Soundcloud)

Chillout, NuJazz, Experimental
9 In Common - Jealous
Author - In The Sky (This track was a free download, but is no longer available)
Cat Power - Cherokee (Nicolas Jaar Remix)
Eaves. - Luv Songs 4 Kids
Odesza - We Were Young (Free Download)
Mushroom Lounge - Rescue Me

Bass, Dub
Disclosure feat. Ria Ritchie - Control
Dusky - No More
Illum Sphere - Agent White (Kidkanevil Agent Black Remix)
Julio Bashmore - Ensnare
Justin Martin - Night Calling
Sepehr - Apple Bottoms

Deep House, Tech House
Amine Edge & Dance - Going To Heaven With The Goodie-Goodies
Breach - You Won't Find Love Again
Climbers - Equal Responsibility
David August - Stepping Trough Myself
Eats Everything - Jagged Edge
Green Velvet & Pleasurekraft - Skeleton Key
Hackman & Bluto - What Matters (James Fox Remix)
Joris Voorn & Moby - After The After
Lee Burton - You've Got Me
Lee Mayjahs - Calling Liam
Kolombo & Djuma Soundsystem - Cherimoya
Monte - True
NiCe7 - Time To Get Physical
Parov Stelar - The Snake
Pezzner & Aki Bergen feat. Terry Grant - Tarareando (Aki Bergens Future Jazz Band Edit)
Terranova feat. Khan - Boogie For The Dollar (Tiefschwarz Mix)
Wankelmut feat. Asaf Avidan - One Day/Reckoning Song (Wankelmut Remix) (Club Mix)

Drum & Bass
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Garden (Calibre Remix)

Electro
Djedjotronic & Spoek - Horror Klub
Wolfgang Gartner - Girl On Boy
Tradelove - Pum Back

Progressive House, Trance
Andrew Bayer - You
Ehad - Edge
Hegrustin - Rising Of The Sun (Shane Robinson Remix)
M83 - Midnight City (Eric Prydz Private Remix)
Simon Patterson - Within
UNKLE & Nick Cave - Money and Run (16 Bit Lolitas Remix)br />
Techno
Adam Beyer & Joseph Capriati - Family Matters
Δkkord - Submerged Free Download

Best Albums from 2012

In alphabetical order:

	...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Lost Songs "Lost Songs splits the difference between some of the more overly emotive/dramatic …Trail of Dead featured on recent albums, and the frenetic, exciting …Trail of Dead of its the early years. Tracks like "Open Doors" and "Catatonic" are brothers in arms with the halcyon-era, breathless punk rock the band earned its early critical stripes for. If for nothing else than the fact that they serve as fist-pumping anthems, Lost Songs is a success. And when Reece sings, "We're catatonic! Looking for something new!" it's clear …Trail of Dead have discovered what was once Lost." [pastemagazine] {Alternative Rock, Rock, Metal}
	Blockhead - Interludes After Midnight "Instrumentally, Blockhead inserts several melodic samples, bestowing a range of genres with minimal changes to his style. Often he incorporates wild and whimsical flute, which stands independently or melds into juxtaposition against heavy bass. Intense horns, electric guitar, and wholesome piano all make appearances. Although tonally separate from the consistent drum and bass, they are arranged over the beats and become harmonious with the core of each song." [inyourspeakers] {Experimental Hip Hop, Electronica}
	BT - If the Stars Are Eternal So Are You and I The seven-track record - much like This Binary Universe - sees BT expanding upon his original detailing of chillout's notoriously testing reaches of sound exploration. It's this unknown - this very recognizably unrecognizable dark abyss - where nine out of ten times we find ourselves with BT's music, as if on a pivotal knife's edge unsure where to go next. BT's music may, for the most part, associate with something more human and impacting, but it's here on If The Stars Are Eternal So Are You And I where Brian's skills truly come into play and, as a result, shine through. [musicreviewdatabase] {Electronica, Ambient, Experimental IDM}
	Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory "Attack on Memory echoes the sentiments of yesteryear's greatest punk records. It's awash in good vibes underneath bad distortion and Albini's a primo candidate to knock that out of the park. Nirvana's In Utero, which he produced, remains one of the most haunting efforts of its genre, but you'd never know. Why? Albini's production supported the raw and live instrumentation that outweighed the dense lyricism. Admittedly, that sort of creative style can be rather obtrusive if handled improperly. For a veteran like Albini, it's second nature now." [time] {Punk Rock}
	Grizzly Bear - Shields "As both an art piece and a product, Shields is masterfully executed. The great joy of Shields is that it is nowhere near as dualistic and polarized as all of that might suggest, and as Veckatimest sometimes felt. Shields plays like a truly collaborative effort, the product of a band blessed by four musicians with distinct voices and great aesthetic curiosity — independently prolific when not creating together — finding an unlikely but completely organic common ground between rock, jazz, folk, symphonic accouterment, electronic experimentalism, and avant grandiosity." [stereogum] {Alternative, Jazz-Rock, Dreampop}
	Japandroids – Celebration Rock "Japandroids' brash, affirming ruckus never lets up and never gets old: In 35 minutes and just eight songs, these guys kick and scream ("Let rip, but never let go!"), fill their choruses with "whoa-oh-ohs," and generally sing the praises of a loud, messy life. It's fitting that Celebration Rock both starts and finishes with the sound of fireworks — figuratively, they never actually stopped." [npr] {Punk Rock}
	The Orb feat. Lee Scratch Perry - The Orbserver In The Star House "This alliance with The Orb is positive for both parties, Perry providing a tighter rein on their tendency to meander, while they furnish him with a different terrain to his usual dub skanks, even bringing a more haunting tone..." [independent] {Dub, Bass, Ambient}
	Orbital - Wonky "Wonky mostly finds Orbital deciding to do what they've always done best: gorgeous blends of house drive and techno precision, linking airy whoosh and stadium stomp, melodic hook and rhythmic push. These are dance tracks that hit you with the immediacy of pop singles, occasionally erring toward outright throwback territory but usually with just enough juice purloined from club culture's more recent mutations and underground niches to keep things vital. This doesn't mean the Hartnolls aren't still devoted to the sounds of the 1990s, ideas they helped either pioneer or refine, and there are indeed plenty of sonic nods to rave's (and Orbital's) most fertile decade." [pitchfork] {Rave, Techno, Dub, Electronica}
	S.P.Y - What the Future Holds "What the Future Holds," is a symphony. Press play on the title track and any junglist is likely to double-take; the epically orchestral introduction could be a Hollywood blockbuster soundtrack. The rich strings rise and fall with the glorious breadth, enough to make you choke. Over the horizon a gentle tribe of drums marches in and the soundscape is truly philharmonic." [foxgotbass] {Drum & Bass}
	Simian Mobile Disco - Unpatterns "It's not just laser-guided club bombs, though. Subliminally or not, "Cerulean" mimics Orbital's bleepy, robotic techno style; "The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife" is a fizzing 8-bit exercise with off-kilter rhythms leaving decaying trails of electronic debris behind it like meteor showers. In contrast, "Interference"—Unpatterns' most willfully contemporary-sounding track—is aimed directly at 2 AM Berghain crowds, fusing echo-laden, Scuba-like bass thuds with spattering Detroit techno drum patterns. Unpatterns feels like Simian Mobile Disco's watershed moment. They may have cool alt-pop friends, but they've gone with their heart by beating a path to the dance floor. This is compelling proof they've made the right choice." [residentadvisor] {Techno}
	Spiritualized - Sweet Heart, Sweet Light "Sweet Heart, Sweet Light was written while Pierce was touring Ladies and Gentlemen in its entirety. Inspired by the experiences of performing, this new album does evoke comparisons to the earlier release, but is in no means a derivative re-tread. After much of the album's writing was complete, Pierce suffered from degenerative liver disease and as a result underwent experimental chemotherapy while recording, a treatment that often left Pierce clouded. When Pierce sings, "living my life on a prayer now" in "Freedom", one of this album's most serenely beautiful tracks, he truly means it." [consequenceofsound] {Art Rock, Baroque Pop}
	Titus Andronicus - Local Business "Three guitars, a sense of humor in the face of despair, and an unwavering commitment to the underrated art of the rock 'n' roll sing-along are what define Local Business. There might not be a better rock band right now at pairing an everything-is-fucked worldview with an it'll-be-okay-with-another-guitar-solo chaser, and no frontman better at pairing the glorious freedom of being an individual with the pain and responsibilities and confusion that come with that individuality." [avclub] {Punk Rock}
	Voices From The Lake - Voices From The Lake "Voices from the Lake is an intensely personal project borne out of the long-standing friendship between two Italian DJ/producers, Donato Dozzy and Neel. The project extends and deepens their explorations of ambient techno, with an emphasis firmly placed on the 'techno' component. Listening to Voices from the Lake is an immersive experience, as the textured beats and carefully crafted rhythms have a deeply hypnotic effect. The open, fluid structure of the music gives it an organic, natural feel, transporting you to more peaceful surroundings. With the music of Voices from the Lake there is a completely natural progression and flow, nothing is forced or hurried. The sounds develop and unfold at their own pace, creating a powerful sense of tranquility. The genesis of the Voices from the Lake album can be found in the mountains of Japan, where they made their live debut at The Labyrinth festival in 2011. This album recreates and refines that performance." [prologuemusic] {Ambient, Techno}

I have made a new dj mix

Listen to it here: https://soundcloud.com/djsynz/synz-batmang-dec-2012-promo

Genres (In order of appearance): dub, bass music, experimental, psydub, dub techno, tech house, house, techno, progressive

Tracklisting:
Royalston feat. Mark Berry - Primitive
CJ Weaver - Roof of the World
Starkey - Playing With Fire (Ital Tek Remix)
Maidu - The Way I See You (J Sparrow Remix Instrumental)
Maidu feat. Heather Findlay - The Way I See You (Tzfat Remix)
Justin Martin - Night Calling
Justin Martin & Christian Martin - Riding Spaceships (Justin Martin vs. Leroy Peppers)
Sepehr - Apple Bottoms
Tom Flynn & Shadow Child - Drive Hero
Braiden - The Alps
NiCe7 - Time To Get Physical
Ramon Tapia - The Cry (Deep Mix)
George Privatti & Guille Placencia - Sudden Death (DJ Wady Mix)
Piatto & Luigi Rocca - Higher Feeling
Danny Ocean - When The Beat Goes On (Darlyn Vlys & Ramiro Lopez Remix)
Noir & Audio Junkies - The Pretender

**Special Thanks go to Jim, Cara, Jane, Jessi, Katie, Tricia, Josh, Matt, Sequoia, Meegs, Kanizzle, Mr. Jennings, Raptorstein, Mayjahs, Everyday, Ben, Dara, Eduardo, Sam, Megan, Dina, Debbi and all the fans of my music. You've all inspired me musically and beyond, some of you may not even know it. Your opinions and friendship mean everything to me, even if from afar.

Please enjoy this mix! I hope it gives you all that I've put into it.

Compilation, production, mixing and mastering done by me. All rights reserved!

Best Electronica Albums of 2011

Modeselektor - Monkeytown

"Berlin duo Modeselektor returns full force with a new album whose immense energy and club-boiling beats will inject the global dance community with inspiration that reverberates across the entire musical spectrum."

"Flowing freely between styles and tempos, Monkeytown experiments with the edges and extremes, exploring fresh sonic territory from a solid base of beats located deep within the groove. With massive drums, minced vocals and a mastery of mounting tension, Modeselektor creates a new animal out of dance music, a mutating chimera with body parts of left-field hip hop, soulful R&B, punk rap and playful surprises. Contributing to the album is an exciting palette of guest vocalists and musicians, including Thom Yorke, Busdriver, PVT, Anti Pop Consortium, Miss Platnum, Sascha Ring (aka Apparat), Pillow Talk, Gordon Boerger, Siriusmo and Otto von Schirach."

01 "Blue Clouds"
02 "Pretentious Friends" feat. Busdriver call by Pillow Talk
03 "Shipwreck" Modeselektor & Thom Yorke
04 "Evil Twin" vocals by Otto von Schirach
05 "German Clap"
06 "Berlin" feat. Miss Platnum
07 "Grillwalker"
08 "Green Light Go" PVT drums by Gordon Boerger, additional synth by Siriusmo
09 "Humanized" feat. Anti Pop Consortium
10 "This" Modeselektor & Thom Yorke
11 "War Cry" guitar by Sascha Ring (Apparat)

LISTEN & BUY:
Modeselektor "Monkeytown" (MONKEYTOWN015) OUT BETWEEN SEP27-OCT04 by Modeselektor

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Nero - Welcome Reality


""I don't know where we're going," coos Alana Watson on this English dubstep duo's single "Guilt"; but that's just a setup for the air-sucking dropout and explosion of ugly, bass-driven bluster that follows. Watson gives Nero's robotic skronk a rare injection of humanity, and the U.K. producers are smart enough to build most of their debut full-length around her husky voice, skipping the sampled spasticity of Skrillex in favor of Daft Punk's melodic big beat ("Doomsday"), '80s-inspired electro-pop ("Crush"), and stadium-sized mash-ups of squealing guitar and windy synths ("Me & You")." -SPIN


01 "2808"
02 "Doomsday"
03 "My Eyes"
04 "Guilt"
05 "Fugue State"
06 "Me And You"
07 "Innocence"
08 "In The Way"
09 "Scorpions"
10 "Crush"
11 "Must Be The Feeling"
12 "Reaching Out"
13 "Promises"
14 "Departure"

LISTEN & BUY:
Nero - Welcome Reality by Interscope Records

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SBTRKT - SBTRKT


"Ambitious like James Blake, and freewheeling like the London dubstep scene he’s lit up for two years, SBTRKT (real name Aaron Jerome) tries a lot of things on his debut — and succeeds at most. Guest vocalist Sampha evokes Blake’s parched croon, only SBTRKT is far more urgent and playful than Blake’s album. The vocal-driven songs have an irresistible R&B-once-removed hookiness: Basement Jaxx would kill to have made the buoyant, 2-step garage throwback "Pharoahs." Elsewhere, "Something Goes Right," "Ready Set Loop," and "Sanctuary" have a starry-eyed quality that's grounded by the intricately skipping rhythms and, particularly on the grinding "Wildfire," mutant mega-bass." -Rolling Stone


01 "Heatwave"
02 "Hold On"
03 "Wildfire feat. Little Dragon"
04 "Sanctuary"
05 "Trials of the Past"
06 "Pharaohs"
07 "Something Goes Right"
08 "Right Thing to Do"
09 "Ready Set Loop"
10 "Never Never"
11 "Go Bang"

Songs by SBTRKT:
Latest tracks by sbtrkt

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Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise

"The textures and ingredients of Jaar's music exist in the context of techno-- rhythm and repetition are clearly important to him-- but Space is not dance music. It's too slow, sure, but it's also too diffuse in its methods and results. Pianos, organs, guitar strings, and, most surprisingly, Jaar's voice all fall under Space's sepia-toned veil. This sounds like a lot to take in, but Jaar goes to great lengths to ensure that Space settles lightly. The tracks are short, funny, and always hitched to a melody. He sidesteps impulses-- during the quivering "Almost Fell", for instance, or during "Specters of the Future", during which actual techno threatens-- to drift into full-on ambience, skronk, or extended beat passages. The goofy bass bumbling of "Problems With the Sun" is as likely to stick with you as the elegiac "Colomb".

...Space never feels like a showcase for Nicolas Jaar; it's just a modest and well-decorated gathering place for some things he loves, a place for them to interact. This teetering restraint masks the true weirdness of Space Is Only Noise. I could understand someone finding the intensely self-contained Space a bit claustrophobic, but the album is most rewarding when you just grab a seat at the table. Because when Jaar chants "Grab a calculator and fix yourself" I don't sit there and think, "Gosh, why am I listening to electro-acoustic downtempo future-jazz?""-Pitchfork

01 "Être"
02 "Colomb"
03 "Sunflower"
04 "Too Many Kids Finding Rain in the Dust"
05 "Keep Me There"
06 "I Got a Woman"
07 "Problems With the Sun"
08 "Space Is Only Noise If You Can See"
09 "Almost Fell"
10 "Balance Her in Between Your Eyes"
11 "Specters of the Future"
12 "Trace"
13 "Variations"
14 "^tre"

LISTEN & BUY:
Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise by CircusCompany